Downtown Dubai
Picture by The Address Hotels & Resorts
Humbled by the recent global economic debacle, Dubai is
getting back on its feet with a strong value and product proposition
for Asian MICE. By Ollie Quiniquini
Like the famed mythical bird of the desert, Dubai is reemerging from the ashes of a crippling economic downturn with new attractions galore and a renewed zest for MICE, particularly from Asia.
The new Downtown area, already bustling with the 196-room The Address Downtown Dubai hotel, the Dubai Mall, and the world’s tallest performing fountain, The Dubai Fountain, now boasts another first – the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which opened in January.
At 828 metres, the towering edifice dwarfs previous record-holders 101 Taipei, Sears Towers etc. Observation deck, At The Top, is the world’s highest on Burj Khalifa’s 124th floor. The deck’s outdoor terrace is an amazing feat of architecture as winds – unwieldy at that height – are no more than a cool breeze. On a clear day, parts of Iran can even be spotted from this 360-degree glass-encased viewpoint, which offers closer scrutiny through strategically located and interactive telescopes.
While potentially a breathtaking venue for corporate events, At The Top unfortunately does not cater for these. But the views will be just as magnificent at At.mosphere, a fine-dining restaurant that can serve up to 200 covers, opening in the third quarter on the 122nd storey.
Also nestled in the floors of the Burj Khalifa is the 160-room Armani Hotel Dubai, which opened in April. With its muted shades and elegant minimalist decor, the hotel is signature Armani, with the Italian fashion legend taking a personal interest in his first hospitality project and designing everything from the sheets to the shape of the soap bars.
Also getting a jumpstart this year is manmade archipelago, The Palm Jumeirah. The buzz on this mammoth development that can even be spotted from the moon fizzled out during the global economic downturn, with just Atlantis, The Palm Dubai gracing its shores. Work has since resumed on the project, with several top-notch hotels making their debut this year (see Need to Know).
While many of Dubai’s new additions fall in the luxury range, the emirate has also made itself more budget-friendly with economy chain hotels. Arabian Adventures senior vice president Frederic Bardin noted that good three- and four-star rooms could now be had for around US$100.
Dubai’s recent innovations in product, infrastructure and rates all bode well for Asian MICE groups. The focus nowadays may be on China, India and Japan but North and South-east Asian markets have been just as promising.
Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Malaysia are Royal Arabian Tours’ top sources of incentive and corporate business, said operations manager Preethi Ajay. While business went down last year, she is confident of a resurgent 2010, particularly towards year-end.
Anne Liyanage, director of event sales of the InterContinental Hotels Group’s three properties in the Dubai Festival City, is working on a large Malaysian and Singaporean incentive taking up 1,000 rooms this December. Dining options, she noted, was a big factor in clinching Asian MICE business. “They tend to ask for fancy gala dinners, meals at three-star Michelin restaurants, and lavish activities for spouses.”
Dream Horizons managing director C Renjith said: “Dubai used to be prohibitively expensive and capacity was terrible from October to April. Now, room availability and better prices are influencing MICE planners to send incentives here.”
Meiling Chan, Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s promotions manager for the Far East, believes the emirate’s new attractions will reverse the 10 per cent decline Dubai suffered from these markets last year. The 2009 exhibition season saw a significant drop in numbers, partly attributable to the slump in outbound MICE from Far East markets.
Chan said: “It will take time for MICE and corporate business to bounce back. But with our many new attractions, the incentive market should be back soon.” She is already seeing signs of a comeback this year, with Malaysia exhibiting the strongest demand and growth.
Renjith agreed with Chan’s assessment. “Numbers from Malaysia are definitely on the rise, perhaps due to the Islamic ties. Asians are also into twinning destinations now. We’ve had Dubai-Abu Dhabi-Al Ain programmes before but have been getting requests to include Oman.”
As for Hong Kong, another strong MICE market for Dubai, corporate groups and incentives usually spend two nights in a four-star city centre property and then splurge for two nights at either Atlantis, The Palm Dubai or the Burj Al Arab, said Renjith. In fact, among Armani Hotel Dubai’s first guests was a 32-pax corporate group from Hong Kong and Macau.
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